Shine Your Light

“Let your light shine before men… So they will glorify your Father in Heaven.”

Matthew 5:16 NASB (emphasis, mine)

Glancing around, I watched the congregation as they began worshipping.

“Many are perishing among you…”

“What? Lord… what? We are your church.” I stood there baffled at this sentence.

“Many are perishing among you. They have one foot stuck in the earth and one toe in me.”

I knew exactly what He was saying. I used to live this way. I wanted Jesus, but I wanted this life too. I wanted the things of this earth. I wanted my life to be a certain way, look a specific way, and my circumstances to be in alignment with my wishes. I gave Him my grocery list of desired blessings and things I wanted. I offered Him my Sundays, my Bible study mornings and quiet time, though there was only a fraction of true devotion and surrender. I was surrendered in only some places of my life, even though Jesus called me to complete surrender.

While my eternity was secured, there was little secure about my temporal existence. I had the deposit of the Holy Spirit, which gave me eternal security, but I was still perishing in my daily life. In reality, my love for the things of this earth, relationships, life going my way, and my financial security was hatred for God. We cannot serve two masters. (Matthew 6:24) It is a choice… and we must choose between the things of earth and Him. As we serve Him, we are given life abundant. Serving anyone or anything but Him brings death and destruction. Those things that can be destroyed, when we worship them, bring destruction upon us. So we must worship the One who is indestructible!

He came so we could be truly free… completely free, and dwell in this life abundantly and in peace regardless of the circumstances that come our way! As we live in complete surrendered worship of Him alone, we are given the chance to shine His light and peace into a dark, hurting world. This is the light we shine- His light of abundance, peace, and a life completely surrendered.

Believers, we are called first to shine His light to each other, reminding each other of the calling we’ve been given and the hope we have. If we cannot navigate through this life any better than someone without Jesus, what really do we have to offer those who do not know Him? We shine His light into the darkness to point the way for others to know Him. Be His light. Be His love. Extend grace. Extend mercy. Shine.

Many are perishing among you… Shine His light today.

Father God, Make us worthy ambassadors of your love, carrying it into our world this day. May your precious light in us be a guide to those who are lost, lonely, looking and hurting. Rid us of our selfish ways, our striving, and our desire to claim and control our lives as our own. Give us courage to completely surrender ALL things, past, present and future into Your Sovereign hands. All glory to you Great and Good Father, Amen.

 

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